


Promise

by Rachel_Lu



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Episode: s02e04 The Girl in the Fireplace, F/M, I Love You, Post-Episode: s02e04 The Girl in the Fireplace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 08:04:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5820646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachel_Lu/pseuds/Rachel_Lu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose decides she needs to be alone after the events in France, and the Doctor goes to find her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promise

She'd been quiet since France, and she was all but gone.  The Doctor couldn't find her, and an angry hum from the TARDIS was telling her that him didn't want to be found.  He huffed an invitation and sent an inquiry back to the ship, asking why Rose was upset.  The TARDIS gave him the equivalent of a massive eye roll and "Oh, you idiot."

The Doctor rubbed his forehead in frustration.  He'd have to find her.  

The TARDIS was being very helpful towards Rose indeed.  She flew them to the Powell Estates and locked the Doctor in the galley so she could leave and get some time to herself before she was ready to face the Doctor again.  Rose gave the TARDIS a thankful pat to a coral strut as she left the ship and went back to the flat.

She'd stopped calling it home a long time ago, because it certainly wasn't that.  The TARDIS was home.  After saying a quick hello to her mother with a "No, mum, the Doctor just thought we should take a breather, rough trip", she walked up and sat on the roof of the flats, settling herself in with a book.

There was a light breeze, and it ruffled her book pages, but not enough to annoy her.  She wasn't really looking at the thing anyway.  She sighed heavily and tipped her head back, letting the wind play over her face.

She didn't want to be angry at the Doctor, she knew he was mourning for Reinette, but she couldn't help feeling jealous.  She'd been beautiful and clever and everything that the Doctor would've wanted in a woman.  She felt unbidden tears welling up and forced herself to bite them back.  It wouldn't do for that to happen, not at all.  

Part of her felt a little bad that she hadn't invited Mickey to come to the flats with her, but she needed to be alone.  Every part of her loved the Doctor, and seeing him chase after a bit of skirt had been embarrassing and hurtful.  She'd only wanted him, and now she just felt like worthless chav, which she supposed, she was.  Giving up, she threw her book down and laid on her back, her fingers laced together across her stomach.  She watched the London sky, which wasn't very interesting, and prepared to give the Doctor as much space as he needed.

The Doctor, on the other hand, did not want space.  He wanted Rose back, sensed something was wrong, but he supposed he really was a bloke because he couldn't figure out what was going on with her.  The TARDIS eventually let him out of the galley a few hours later, and he ran straight into Mickey.

"Mickey!" He shouted, "Why didn't you let me out?"

The other man stared at him.  "Didn't know you were stuck in there, boss."

"I was yelling and rattling the doorknob," The Doctor gestured wildly for the door.

"I couldn't hear you.  You alright?" 

The Doctor opened and closed his mouth a few times, looking completely gobsmacked.  "She was trying to keep me in there, and let me out when _she_ was good and ready!" He carded his hands through his hair.  "Where's Rose?"

Mickey lifted a shoulder.  "She mumbled something about being tired and ran off when we got back on the ship," he narrowed his eyes at the Doctor, "Not that you'd know, you were two busy moping."

The Doctor felt a wave of guilt course through him, amplified by the TARDIS's own anger.  He hadn't been thinking about what Rose had thought at all.  "She's not in her room," he said sheepishly, "I looked."

"I heard the doors open earlier," Mickey suggested helpfully.  "Figured it was just you going out for a mopey stroll."

"I was not moping," the Doctor protested.

"You know, you should probably tell Rose that before she decides to stay here properly because you're a right-"

"O _kay,_ Mickey," the Doctor scowled at him.

Mickey crossed his arms, looking at the Doctor angrily.  "You're an idiot."

"Right, yeah.  I'm going to find Rose, now."

"I think she wants to be alone."

"I don't think she does."

"She loves you and you swanned off with another woman.  How would you feel?"

The Doctor froze in his tracks.  "You don't know what you're playing with, Mickey Smith."

Mickey scoffed.  "She told me.  She was telling me just how much she loved you and how you'd never love her back.  So before you run off after her to embarrass her, you should probably think about it a little bit."

He felt his mind reeling at Mickey's words.  Rose loved him.  She loved him and he'd...  Oh.  He'd betrayed her trust.  He'd partied with all of France while she'd been in mortal danger, and left her when he didn't know he'd be able to get back.  And of course, she wouldn't know to wait.  She just did it...  She did it because she loved him. 

Against his will, he felt his heart swell at the thought.  Of course he loved Rose Tyler, there was no way he couldn't, even if he'd pretended he didn't.  Maybe it was all his pretending that had driven her away from him, right out of the TARDIS. 

On top of that, weren't they in the vortex?

He turned away from Mickey and headed down the corridor, hearing Mickey's footsteps behind him. There was not a power that could keep him from her now.  

He had to tell her.  He had to get up the nerve to just _tell_ her what she meant to him, that she was everything to him.  He'd been a fool to make her think otherwise.  He pulled his coat off a coral strut and shrugged it on before opening the doors of the TARDIS.  They were outside the Powell Estates?  Had she wanted to come home? Permanently?

"Did you know we were here?" He asked Mickey lowly.

"No," Mickey said firmly.  "Might want to ask the TARDIS how long ago she landed, it's nighttime here."

The TARDIS informed the Doctor before he'd asked.  She'd parked them there five hours previous.  He sighed heavily.  "I have to fix this," he said softly.

"Yeah, you do," Mickey agreed, and left the Doctor on his own.  He exited the TARDIS, shutting the doors gently behind himself, and made his way up to Jackie's flat.

Jackie opened the door almost immediately, a concerned look on her face.  "Was wondering when you were gonna see fit to turn up," she said, putting her hand on her hip, "She's been laying up there for five hours."

The Doctor managed to furrow his brows around the miserable expression on his face.  "Up where?"

"On the roof."

His eyes widened.  "She-"

"No, she's fine, I took dinner up to her about an hour ago, she's reading up there.  Said you had a rough trip and she needed to be home for a few hours."

"I have to... That is, I need... To talk, I mean-"

"I know.  Go up," she let him past and he shot up the stairs like a flash, opening the door to get onto the roof of the flats. 

Rose turned slightly, looking up at an awkward angle to see him.  She went back to laying on her back, not acknowledging him at all.  Taking that as invitation, he walked over to her and laid down next to her.

"The TARDIS locked me in the galley," he told her.

"Good for her."

She was afraid to look at him, afraid to see anything in those eyes of his.  She could get so sucked into him, and that was one thing she didn't need at the moment.  

"What are you doing out here?" He asked softly.

"Stargazing."

"It wasn't dark five hours ago."

"Cloudwatching, then."

"Rose..."

"Stop."

"What?" 

She sat up, looking away from him, "I know Mickey sent you.  I just need time to myself, alright?  I'm tired.  Leave me alone."

He sat up after her, laying a cautious hand on her shoulder and feeling his hearts sink when she flinched at his touch.  She wasn't fighting him off, though, so he left his hand where it was.

"Mickey didn't send me, I came after you because I wanted to," he said softly.

"Bit domestic for you, isn't it?" 

"Tremendously," he said, "But I'm here."

She looked at him, and the pain in her eyes nearly broke him. "I didn't ask you to be."

"I broke your trust tonight," he blurted out.  "You should hate me, and everything I am and everything I stand for and... The point is, you should hate me."

Rose was quiet for several moments, studying him carefully.  "I don't hate you," she whispered.

The look of her so broken, so full of defeat and _how_ could she think that he didn't love her, did him in.  He reached for her, cupping her cheek.  She turned to face him fully, a resigned look on her face.

"I didn't love Reinette."

And just like that, a well placed mask was written on her face and he could no longer tell what she was feeling.  "I didn't say you did," she replied.

"I'm busy, you see, loving someone else."

She didn't seem to be picking up what he was saying.  "Sarah Jane?"

He sighed heavily, bringing his other hand to the other side of her face and pulling her to him, resting their foreheads together.  "I've been a fool today," he told her, "Had to have Mickey the Idiot spell it out for me, that I couldn't push you away anymore.  You've gotten closer to me than anyone has in centuries.  I _promise,_ Rose Tyler, with everything that I am and will ever be, I love you.  I know I didn't act like it today, but you mean everything to me."

She lifted shaking hands to touch his chest.  "Your hearts are beating so fast," She whispered.

"Because I'm terrified of you," he told her, "You're the most important thing in my universe.  If I lose you... I lose everything."

That seemed to be the tipping point: she believed him.  Her fingers curled around his lapels and she tugged him the slightest bit closer, pressing his lips to hers.  He nearly sighed in relief as he moved and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her to him, half in his lap.  She was gentle, still tentative, still afraid, but oh, she was _his_ now. 

She pulled away softly, and they were both panting lightly.  She stroked her fingertips over his cheek.  "Nobody else," she said, "If you want this, Doctor, it's just us."

He nodded, meeting her gaze easily.  "Just us, I promise."

She kissed him again, long and slow, before pulling him into a hug, burying her face in his neck.  He hummed contentedly and she giggled as he pulled them both down to the ground.  She cuddled into his side and looked back at the stars. 

Tracing her fingers over his chest, she said it so he almost didn't hear it.  "I love you too."


End file.
